Buckle



Aug 12, 1958 w. M. LATHROP BUCKLE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 7, 1954 IIDIC nlhilllll.

FIG. 3,

FIG.4.

P 0 R H M R 0 M M m V A N H M w W M s m Y 3 w w B O 2 m 9 y 3 0w fil /\O l 5 4 i V 3 2 5 4 4 3 2 5 a 5 7 4 5 3 7 0 3 l 5 3 m w 2%3 W. w Clo m 5 n 2 m E 2 mui F 6 6 7 3 W 5 4 3 3 w ATTORNEYS Aug. 12, 1958 BUCKLE Filed Sept. '7. 1954 FIG. 6.

W. M. LATHROP 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR WILLIAM MARTIN LATHROP ATTORNEYS United States Patent'O I This invention-has-to do with-buckles-such-as are used for releasably fastening theends of straps, belts --and--the like.-

An object of the invention is to provide a novel, strong, durable, positive-locking buckle construction.

Another object:istoiprovidea=buckle in which the part to be secured-can--be readily. inserted-without disturbing the handle andthebuckle will automatically snap to 1 locked position;

A furthenobject is "to provide'a buckle of simpleconstr 'uction'which can be-readily fabricated.

Still'anothe'r objeccis-to-provide '-a*bi1'ckle construction which provides substantiallyflat, smooth inner and outer surfaces.

These and otherobjects-will -be apparent from the drawingsaitd the-followingdescriptionl Referringi to the drawings, -which *are for illustrative purposes only:

Fig. 1 is an edge view of buckle means embodying the invention shown in position as normally worn;

Fig. 2 is a view of the means shown in Fig. l on line 2-2 thereof;

Figs. 3, 4 and are sectional views on lines 3-3, 4-4, and 55, respectively, of Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 3 but showing the tongue plate entering the buckle;

Fig. 7 is a sectional view on line 77 of Fig. l; and

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 3 but showing the handle in released position.

More particularly describing the invention, numeral 11 generally indicates a buckle and 12 generally indicates a plate which will be referred to as a tongue plate which is to be secured by the buckle 11. The plate 12 is shown as mounted upon the end of a strap or belt 14 which passes through slots 12 in the plate. Another strap or belt end 14' is shown attached to the buckle 11 passing about the movable pin 15 mounted in slots 16 in sides or flanges 17 of the base 18 of the buckle. The latter is apertured at 19 to permit passage of the strap or belt ends 14'.

The base of the buckle includes a flat, plate-like body 20 and the aforementioned upright sides or flanges 17. A pin 22 is mounted in the flanges 17 at one end of the buckle and is provided with a hexagonal head 23 at one end which fits into a correspondingly shaped recess 24 of one flange to prevent rotation of the pin. At its other end the pin has a groove 25 in which is fitted a snap ring 26 to secure the parts.

A handle 30 is pivotally mounted on the pin 22 and urged toward the body 20 of the base by torsion spring 31, one end of which is mounted in the handle and the other end of which is received in a slot 33 in the head of pin 22. The handle includes a plate-like portion 35 which extends between flanges 17 overlying the body 20 of the base and projecting beyond the base to some extent as best shown in Fig. 1. At the end upon which the handle is mounted on pin 22 the handle has a thickened portion 36 with a pin-receiving bore 37 therein. There is sufiicient clearance between the thickened end of the handle 2 and the bodysztl of'the bas'e 'to-receivethe tongue'portion 38' 'of -the tongue plate 12;

Also, mounted on thepin' 22 is -a latch member "39 which is received in 'arecess 40in the h'andle member for 'limited pivotal movement; This latchmemberis provided with an opening 4'1"'which= receives a relatively small pin 42 mounted in the 'handleand 'servingto limit pivotal movement of the-latch-member relative to the handle. A spring "'44" urges 'lZhBrIatCh toward'the base to' the position in --which- 'it' is shown in'Fig. '3. In this position-the latch has a projecting :shoulderedlatch portion 45 which is received ina'keeper'aperture' 46 in-the-body 20 0f the base with -theforward 1 face or shoulder 53 thereof in latching It-- willbenoted -that the latch has-a shoulder 50 which gserves as an abutment--for the forward edge of the aperture 47 preventing the tongue plate from being with- I drawn in-the -normal---position-ofthe latch.- Above and projecting :beyond 'theshoulder 50 -is an overlying or provjeeting pontion 51 on thelatch which overlies the tongue 25 38 when intheinterlockedsposition-in-Fig. 3. To permit the insertion of the tongue plate without raising the handle,-the latch-is-provided--witha -cammin'g face-52 so-that when-thetonguerplate -is inserted ,-.as shown in Fig. 6, it will deflect the latch upwardly permitting the tongue plate It -will-be-apparent that by pivotally moving thehandle rounterclockwise asWieWed'inFigs. 1,-3 and 6', the latch will be raised out of the keeper aperture 46 (Fig. 6) and the slot 47 releasing the tongue plate 12 which may then be withdrawn.

Although I have illustrated and described a preferred form of my invention, I contemplate that various changes and modifications can be made therein without departing from the invention, the scope of which is indicated by the following claims.

I claim:

1. A buckle comprising a plate-like base, a handle pivotally mounted at one end of said base upon an axis parallel to the general plane of the base, said handle overlying said base, spring means between the base and handle urging said handle toward the base, said base and handle providing a space therebetween for the reception of an apertured tongue plate to be releasably secured, a latch member mounted on said base for pivotal movement about the pivotal axis of said handle, means connecting said handle and latch member for moving the latch member out of engaging position, said means permitting limited movement of the latch member relative to the handle, said latch member having a tongue-plateengaging portion normally projecting toward said base for reception in the aperture of the tongue plate, and spring means urging said latch member toward said base, said handle being pivotally movable away from the base whereby to carry said latch member and release the tongue plate, said latch member having a vertical shoulder facing the other end of said base for engagement by an edge of the aperture in the tongue plate, said latch member having an overlying portion above and projecting beyond said shoulder adapted to overlie the upper surface of the tongue plate whereby to limit the pivotal movement of the latch member under load, said base be ing provided with an opening to receive the tongue-plate engaging portion of said latch member, and an abutting shoulder formed by the edge of said opening nearest said pivotal axis of the handle, said tongue-plate engaging portion of said latch member extending through said apertured tongue plate and into said opening in the base in position to bear against said abutment shoulder under load.

2. A buckle comprising a main body having a flat base portion with a latch keeper aperture therein and a pair of parallel flanges projecting from the sides of said base portion normal to the plane thereof, a hinge pin adjacent one end of said body mounted in and extending between said flanges, the axis of said pin being parallel to the plane of the base portion of the body and spaced therefrom, a handle pivotally mounted on said pin and overlying said base portion of the body, a tongue plate having a latch receiving aperture for registration with the latch keeper aperture in said base portion of the body, said base and handle providing a space therebetween for reception of said apertured tongue plate, spring means interposed between the base and handle yieldably urging said handle toward said base, said handle being formed at its pivoted end to provide a abutment portion to limit pivotal movement of the free end of the handle, a latch member pivotally mounted on said pin for pivotal movement thereof independent of said handle, means connecting said handle and latch member for moving the latch member by said handle out of aperture engaging position and permitting limited relative movement between the latch member and the handle, said latch member having a camming face and a projecting shouldered latch portion to extend toward said base for engagement within the latch keeper aperture of the base said camming face being distinct from and at an angle to said projecting shouldered latch portion,, and spring means independently urging said latch member toward and into the latch keeper aperture of said base, whereby upon forcible insertion of said tongue plate within said space between said handle and apertured base portion of said body said tongue plate will first engage said camming face of said latch member and swing same laterally on its pivot against the action of its spring and move said projecting shouldered latch portion out of keeper engagement within said base portion until said apertures in said tongue plate and base portion are in registration, whereupon said projecting shouldered portion of said latch will be swung by its spring through said aperture in said tongue plate and into locking engagement with an end wall of said latch keeper aperture of said base portion of said body.

3. The buckle structure as defined in claim 16, wherein the spring interposed between the handle and base is materially stronger than the spring means independently urging said shouldered latch member into engagement within the latch keeper aperture of the base.

4. A buckle structure as set forth in claim 16, in which the means connecting said handle and latch member comprises a transverse aperture through said latch member and a pin having a diameter much smaller than the size of said aperture mounted in said handle and extending therethrough.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,209,369 Wood Dec. 19, 1916 2,458,810 Varne et a1. Jan. 11, 1949 2,517,424 Griswold Aug. 1, 1950 2,710,999 Davis June 21, 1955 FOREIGN PATENTS 266,053 Italy July 12, 1929 626,294 France May 9, 1927 791,479 France Sept. 30, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT @FMQE CERTIFICATE GE 'CORREQTION Patent No. 2,846,745 August 12,. 1958 William Martin Lathrop It is hereby certified that error appears in the-printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read as corrected below.

' '"C'O'llIflIIIPAfliZIIE ll, 'ol'atiln'3,"end"line l6,-cl'aim'4,'for the claim "referencemnneral" "16"; "each commence, read e 2 Signed. and sealed this 11th. day of November 1958,

SEAL lttestz Attesting Oflicer (lommissioner of Patents 

